Scammers Target YouTube with Malware Campaign

According to Symantec the security company, a malware-laced scam is circulating worldwide since months now trying to get PC-operators to furtively watch YouTube videos that superficially bloat their popularity in order for the scammers to make quick bucks with the help of advertisements implanted on those videos.

The malware mentioned above is named Tubrosa. There are dual malicious elements to this program: first which's served through spear-phishing bulk electronic mails while unwitting Internauts load it, and the second which's taken down while the first element executes it.

Tubrosa also obtains almost 1,000 YouTube links with the aid of its command-and-control system followed with opening them behind screen of contaminated PCs. This activity is concealed from the end-user as Tubrosa switches off the speakers' volume. In case no Adobe Flash is used on the computer, the malware pulls down the same followed with loading it for making the viewing of videos possible.

Victims of the malware mayn't realize the problem till the time their PCs become wholly exhausted of resources and they start encountering considerable degradation in performance.

Understandably, it was during August 2014 when the malware distribution was thought to have begun just after the miscreants posted the video pieces online. Details from Symantec indicate that the majority of PCs disrupted due to the malware campaign are situated within countries such as South Korea - 26%, Mexico - 16% and India - 16%. More countries to experience the same are Thailand - 10%, USA - 10%, Saudi Arabia - 6% and Turkey - 6%.

Symantec's security investigators state that the malware hasn't been observed getting traded on criminal websites that would suggest only one cyber-criminal gang is getting benefited with its use.

And as YouTube is not the only one to be attacked with fraudulent video viewing, scams with advertisements pose an enormous problem about which opinions vary. A few industry participants feel that some 36% advertisements are a fake, whereas others mark the figure to a higher value. In 2014, Kraft mentioned dismissing a maximum of 85% online ads owing to probable fraud as well as other quality issues.

» SPAMfighter News - 2/5/2015